Friday, November 16, 2012

One Day

About a year after my parents brought me home, we went to court together to finalize my adoption. My parents did the same thing less than two years earlier to finalize my brother's adoption. Although, I have no memory of my Adoption Day, my parents spoke so warmly about this important milestone, that I feel like their memories are my own.

On my special day in court, not only was I a beautiful 1 year old, I was so good. I know, it sounds like I am bragging. But I am not. It's true. My mother told me. The judge held me, in fact, he carried me around the courtroom. I just smiled and looked beautiful. My parents beamed with pride. My older brother was a perfect angel as well, so proud to be my big brother. We Boyntons were just flat out beautiful and well behaved. True story.

Also true is the fact that that one day changed my life forever. My adoption was a done deal. We were legally a family, and no one could take that away from us. That one day was a big deal.

Mikias's One Day. We lost my mom (pictured here) shortly after this day. So happy she was able to celebrate her first grandson's special day.

November is National Adoption Awareness month. Tomorrow is National Adoption Day. For thousands of kids, this will be a day that their dreams of a forever family come true. The National Adoption Day Coalition estimates that 4,500 children in foster care will go to court to finalize their adoptions. It's one day and what a huge difference one day makes in the life of a kid who joins his or her forever family. Click here to learn more about this amazing day. Also check out the links on the site to read stories and see videos about families who had their own One Day.

Jemberu's One Day was a family celebration. The judge shakes Jem's hand as his cousin Cabot looks on.

Although my brother and I don't remember our One Day, we also spent the earliest months of our lives in foster care before joining our forever family. Mikias and Jemberu joined our family via international adoption but they can relate to the kids joining their forever families tomorrow better than my brother and I can. Adoption Day for them, is clear in their minds. They know what it is like to wait for a family. They remember seeing other kids get families and wondering when their turn would come. They know the joy of having a judge congratulate them on becoming a new, legal and permanent member of their own forever family.

I will be traveling all day tomorrow but I know exactly where my heart will be. My heart will be in two places, with those kids who are getting their One Day and with those kids who are waiting for a family to call their own. I pray that every kid who waits for a family will get their own One Day.

Beautifully written--the looks on your boys' faces must be a treasure in your heart. Our "One Day" is coming up in December--we delayed it for a year until my cancer treatments were completed, so this is definitely a "One Day" I've been anxiously awaiting!